How to Answer: Has there ever been a time that you felt you should not participate in a specific surgery? If so, how did you handle the situation?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Surgical First Assistant job interview.
24. Has there ever been a time that you felt you should not participate in a specific surgery? If so, how did you handle the situation?
How to Answer
As a surgical first assistant, your job is to work hand in hand with the surgeon. An ideal situation would be to have all cases be ones that you feel comfortable with, whether it is morally, ethically, or within your scope of practice. However, if a situation were to arise that you caused you to feel like you should not assist, the interviewer wants to know that you could handle the situation professionally and without any risk to the patient.
Written by Darby Faubion on December 22nd, 2018
1st Answer Example
"I have never had a situation when I felt like I couldn't participate in a surgery. If a situation were to arise where I felt uncomfortable or unprepared, I would talk with a supervisor immediately, and explain my feelings and ask if it is possible to have someone else assigned as the first assistant."
Written by Darby Faubion on December 22nd, 2018
1st Experienced
"There have been a few times that I wasn't 100% comfortable with a surgery because I had not yet assisted on that kind of case. However, I have only requested to be excused from one surgery. I had recently had a miscarriage and the surgery was a cesarean delivery of a stillborn fetus. Although today I feel like I could handle that surgery and be ok, at the time, I was still experiencing a great deal of difficulty with my own loss. When I explained to my supervisor, I was immediately replaced and allowed to assist with an alternate procedure."
Written by Darby Faubion on December 22nd, 2018
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